Megatron's Pet
by Abigail Rose V
Summary: Starscream is troublesome and disrespectful. Megatron and Soundwave some up with a plan to 'tame' him. Will it work, or is Megatron in for a nasty surprise?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Megatron strode down the streets of Kaon with his loyal Lieutenant Soundwave at his side, his busy mind on important things like how he was going to rule the universe and enslave all those beneath him for his pleasure, when a distressing cry interrupted his thoughts.

Startled, the warlord paused and glanced down to where the tiny sound had come from.

In the gutter near his heavy peds, a tiny seekerlet sparkling was huddled in the filth of the street, red, blue and white, much like someone else the overlord knew…

Pushing the painful thoughts of his almost spark-mate from his mind, Megatron was about to move on when the tiny thing chirped again.

He was cringing feebly backwards, peering up at Megatron with large, frightened, bright blue optics.

"Sparkling is too young to be on his own." Soundwave commented.

"Agreed." Megatron murmured, and knelt down to look closer at this pitiful scrap of life.

The tiny thing tried to pull back away from him, but did not have the strength to do so, and merely closed his eyes and shivered, seeming to accept that some horrible fate was about to befall him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Now Megatron was callous and cruel, spark said to be nothing but a cold chip of ice, but for some reason this helpless sparkling tugged as a tender spot he never knew he had.

"Soundwave, who would have done such a thing?" he asked, anger rising in his voice.

Soundwave was silent a few kliks as he searched his endless memory files.

"Creator trine dead, sparkling abandoned by other seekers because he is too small to survive without caretakers." He responded.

"Well why didn't _they_ care for him!? I thought seekerlets were the most important thing to those wretched flyers!"

"Seekers in war. Cannot care for sparklings while at war. More merciful to let sparkling die then lose caretakers his whole life."

Megatron was silent for about a breem, then, " Well, he isn't going to lose _this_ caretaker." And with that, he scooped up the grimy seekerlet sparkling into one enormous servo and stood up. " _I_ will be his caretaker, and Air Commander Thundercracker will help me."

Fast-forward a few million years…

Starscream, as Megatron had named him, had trined with the two top command seekers, Thundercracker and Skywarp after their third seeker was killed in battle.

In trine rank, he was third, but command rank he was wing second, and was very good at giving out and following his master Megatron's orders.

Megatron, Soundwave, and Thundercracker had raised the seekerlet well, and he was shaping up to be a fine soldier that Megatron was proud of.

The beautiful seeker adored Megatron, and was always happy to please him, which he was quite good at.

Megatron appointed him as his second-in-command in place of Soundwave, and made his new SIC Air Commander, even though it went against all seeker rules.

Megatron declared Starscream to be trine leader, and expected that to be that.

Starscream did well in his new position, despite the tension now in the seeker ranks.

He still submitted to Thundercracker, but made it clear that when he gave orders, they were from Megatron himself and were meant to be obeyed.

Like his master, Starscream could be cruel and heartless, but unlike his master, he could also kind and caring.

The pretty seeker was very curious, and had a sharp mind, often able to invent brilliant inventions for the Decepticons to use.

Megatron appreciated his sharp mind, and instructed the flyer himself in the scientific arts, giving Starscream much valuable knowledge.

Megatron had been a very strict caretaker, and still had no qualms about taking the striking young flyer over his knees for a sound spanking if he disobeyed, but it was not often the pretty SIC did so.

Many Decepticons liked to watch on the rare occasions Starscream got a spanking, because every one of them desired the beautiful seeker as their own, and Starscream knew it.

Being raised with only one seeker as an influence, young Starscream's view on interface was rather skewed, and he was eagerly waiting on his interface units to come online so he could interface with as many cons as he could.

Thundercracker had tried to instill some modesty in him, but it was hopeless.

The flashy new Air Commander loved the attentions he received from the other Decepticons too much to give it up, and his best friend and trine mate Skywarp didn't help it any, as Skywarp was perpetually in heat, known as a hot seeker.

Skywarp promised to interface with him as soon as his interface protocols came online; Starscream was anticipating that highly, and as soon as it happed, Skywarp kept his promise.

Then the young flyer was in for another shock: his first heat period.

Megatron was horrified when Starscream came into heat and began seeking a mate.

Starscream had been trined early, and the warlord was figuring that his seeker would spark-bond with one of his trine, but he didn't.

Megatron kept the confused seeker locked in his room until he came out of heat, and he came out sullen and angry.

Megatron made it up to him by giving him free reign on interfacing with whoever he wanted, even Autobot prisoners, and Starscream forgave him at once.

Starscream even came to like being spanked, as it gave him even more attention, but only if someone who hadn't raised him did the spanking, and he wasn't actually in any trouble.

If a Decepticon did well, Starscream would visit his private quarters, bend over the bed, table, or even throw himself across the lap of said soldier, and give him permission to spank him and interface with him.

It was the best reward any of the cons could have asked for, and troop obedience and morale increased drastically with Starscream in charge.

Megatron was well pleased with his young seeker, and praised him often, and even pampered him a little, letting him share his dining table and high-grade with him, and indulging him further in his interest in science.

He even let him go to the best university that dealt with science, on the condition the SIC go to the war academy as well.

Starscream graduated with top honors at both academies, and even made a new best friend, of whom Megatron did not know of, as the warlord never asked and Starscream was shy about talking about his new friend to anyone, as he had a crush on the half-seeker.

Then, Starscream began changing.

Slowly, without anyone but Thundercracker and Skywarp noticing, Starscream grew sullen and rebellious, lived to inflict pain and became desirous of Megatron's position as leader.

Before Megatron quite realized what was happening, his seeker was all grown up and very dangerous.

If it had not been for Soundwave's timely warning, Megatron would have been nothing more then a pile of smoking ashes.

As punishment to his once-trusted SIC, Megatron had shot the arm that held the gun that shot at him.

Then he reduced the power of his null rays considerably.

But Starscream did not give up.

Over and over and over, he tried to kill his leader, and defied his orders regularly.

It was soon tradition that Starscream and Megatron quarreled over every minor detail, and that Megatron always wound up having to beat Starscream into submission.

One night Megatron was ranting to what many called his pet, Soundwave.

In reality, Soundwave was his only friend.

The closest thing Megatron had to a pet was Skywarp, and as cruel as Megatron was, he refused to separate Thundercracker and Skywarp by using the adorable purple and black seeker as his own.

Soundwave had listened intently to Megatron's tirade, and then suggested something that made Megatron surprised.

Starscream _still_ adored Megatron: so much so that he desired the cold gray leader's attentions in any possible way.

Including punishment.

Soundwave further blew Megatron's mind by informing him that by attempting to kill him, Starscream was trying to protect his leader, and that it was quite possible that Megatron was programmed to be his spark-mate.

The tri-colored seeker evidently had it in his head that if he defeated Megatron, he could take over the Decepticons, end the war, and Megatron would be re-built as his forever.

But, given Starscream's actual personality, the SIC would fare far better as Megatron's favored pet- enforced by plenty of spankings, Starscream's well-known favorite punishment.

His next true heat period would prove whether Starscream's processor had chosen Megatron as his sparkmate or it was all just speculation.

Soundwave admitted to having been providing the seeker with comfort after Megatron would brutally punish him for anything, and warned Megatron that even though Starscream craved affection and structure, he defied what he wanted for fear he would be considered weak.

He also was petrified that whatever he loved would be taken from him, and so the very things he most wanted he acted like he hated, so it would not be taken from him.

This made Megatron very uneasy, at once thinking of the Autobots and how much Starscream 'hated' Skyfire.

Soundwave, who up to this point had not punished Starscream, suggested that he be the one to discipline the SIC next, in order to judge his reaction.

The Air Commander had taken to seeking Soundwave out after a punishment, wanting comfort, and the TIC wanted to see just how much being punished by him would affect Starscream.

They talked all night, and by sunrise, Megatron had decided to follow Soundwave's advice- just as soon as Starscream misbehaved, which Megatron calculated would be very soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Starscream stormed down the hall, wings spread wide so all he passed had to duck and squeeze against the wall, and even then he savagely knocked them aside, or, if they didn't move fast enough for him, choke them and threaten to deactivate them permanently.

 _Megatron_ , stupid, stupid Megatron, had ordered him yesterday to reconfigure the main computer.

He hadn't, of course, and now he was trying to get there before his leader found out-and leave a nasty surprise for him too.

Starscream had enjoyed a whole day of peace as his master took the rest of the army off to collect more energy, leaving him behind.

Starscream had violently protested; he _hated_ missing out on any excitement!

So he indulged himself instead of working.

He took a long, luxurious bath in Megatron's private washroom, then flew around and played in the sky for as long as he wished.

He got to eat his favorite flavor of energon, and actually feel full for once.

He rubbed himself down in the best wax available, and spread his wings in the sun while he worked on some scientific invention he was making to turn Megatron into a submissive bot and the Autobots into Decepticons, all with one press of a button.

He had been working on it for years, but he was in no hurry.

"Great inventions are never rushed." He purred to himself as he worked, kicking his feet happily in the air behind him as he laid on his stomach, purring loudly as the sun-heated stone warmed him from below and the actual sun warmed him from above.

When Megatron returned, beaten by Autobots as was the usual, he forgot to question Starscream, who wisely stayed out of sight.

He didn't want his newly polished armor dented and scuffed up already.

But now he had to hurry.

He dreaded the punishment that was bound to be his if Megatron started the main computer up and it still wasn't working.

Starscream chuckled evilly.

When he was done with it, it would work- the way _Starscream_ wanted it to.

Quietly, he pushed open the door to the computer room, and sighed in relief.

Empty.

Quickly, he set to work, twisting a wire here, re-routing a signal there.

In a short time, he closed up the panels and smirked down at the computer.

"Let Megatron operate you now." He sneered, then screamed as a huge servo clamped down hard on his shoulder.

"I thought I ordered you to do this yesterday." Megatron said slowly. "Why are you just now obeying my command? Are your circuits shorted? Do I need to reconfigure you?"

"N-no, Megatron." Starscream stuttered a bit, then regained control over himself- he hoped. " I just had a small modification to make, that's all. Here, why don't you try it out?" he motioned towards the consol.

"Why don't you?" Megatron shoved him forward, and Starscream almost face planted on the screen.

"As you command." Starscream sneered, and switched it on.

As he had programmed it, it worked beautifully.

Megatron hummed thoughtfully.

He still didn't trust the 'small modification' his seeker had mentioned, and he could have bet energon cubes the SIC hadn't fixed it until just now.

"Skywarp!" Megatron called sweetly into the hall.

The dark leader watched as Starscream's wings stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"Yes, Lord Megatron?" the innocent looking seeker trotted into the room.

Megatron gently rubbed under the seeker's chin as a reward, and Skywarp purred loudly.

" Would you please operate my computer for me? I have some training to do with Starscream." Megatron didn't want to hurt the adorable purple and black seeker, but he felt like he had no choice.

He knew Starscream liked Skywarp more then Thundercracker, and would most likely try and protect him if he jinxed the computer.

"Wait!" Starscream blocked Skywarp's path and looked imploringly at Megatron. " I-I just remembered. One of the wires are still shorted, Skywarp will be exploded if he touches it right now! You interrupted my work, Megatron! You almost killed Skywarp!"

"Really, Starscream?" Megatron stepped around the frozen Skywarp and leered at the tri-colored seeker. "You may go, Skywarp."

The Wing Third spun and raced out of the room.

"Soooo, Starscream, trying to kill me, again? When will you ever learn?" Megatron advanced slowly, enjoying the look of terror on his seeker's face.

Starscream backed up and found himself trapped between the computer and Megatron.

He gulped as he cringed, pleas forming on his lips to spare him.

"Soundwave." Megatron called as he hovered mere inches from his petrified seeker.

"Yes, Megatron?" Soundwave questioned as he strode into the room.

"The moment we have been waiting for has arrived. Take him."

"Wh-wh-what?!" Starscream spluttered as Megatron stood back and allowed Soundwave to grasp the slim blue wrists.

"Come." Was it possible that Soundwave sounded, _regretful?_

Soundwave gently tugged Starscream after him, and led him down the hall to where the telepath's quarters were.

Starscream was strangely silent, even when Soundwave closed and locked the door behind them as they entered his living area.

Soundwave dropped Starscream's wrists, and strode into another room while Starscream stood and hugged himself as he stared after Soundwave.

"Come." Soundwave's voice floated through the door, and there was no mistaking it now; Soundwave _did_ sound regretful.

Starscream shook himself and flounced through the door, coming to an abrupt stop as his optics widened in shock.

Soundwave was seated on his berth, legs spread enough to give Starscream all the warning he needed to know he was getting a spanking.

"Soundwave." Starscream whimpered.

"Come." Soundwave patted his thighs. "You tried to explode Megatron, and did not obey orders when commanded. Do not attempt denial."

Starscream slowly came forward, dragging his feet.

"Please, Soundwave, don't." he begged, stopping just out of reach, his hands creeping back and covering his soon-to-be-sore aft.

"Come. Accept punishment." Soundwave dropped his voice several decibels, trying to soften it.

Starscream appreciated the effort, and he reasoned that Soundwave of all mechs would not really hurt him that much, so why not?

It was better then Megatron ripping his wings off any way you looked at it.

Soundwave was not surprised Starscream was being this cooperative.

Soundwave had earned the seeker's trust, and Starscream felt confident he would not be seriously harmed.

Soundwave was going to keep that trust, and show Starscream that not all punishments ended in repairs.

Starscream laid over Soundwave's lap, already sniffling slightly as he gripped the large blue hand offered to him.

Soundwave petted him while he lay there, then, "Prepare yourself." And lifted the hand he had been petting the trembling seeker with to land the first spank.

 _Crack!_

Starscream buried his head as much as he could into Soundwave's knee, and whimpered.

"Good Starscream." Soundwave petted him again.

Starscream closed his optics as he felt Soundwave lift his hand again.

This time, Soundwave did not stop at a single spank.

He landed stinging swats all over the shapely scarlet rump that trembled in his lap.

Starscream gripped Soundwave's hand harder as the sting grew more intense, and he kicked a little, trying not to cry.

"You may cry." Starscream, despite the growing pain he was in, had to smile a little.

Soundwave was trying to reassure him that it was okay to cry, and he would not be thought less of if he did so.

Starscream let one tear, then another, and then all of them fall as Soundwave increased the strength of his swats.

The pretty seeker shifted a little as he cried, kicking a little harder now that it felt like a fire was lit in his rear.

"Remain still." Soundwave warned when Starscream started wriggling and kicking even harder.

A firm swat to his tender thighs punctuated this command, and Starscream stilled.

Soundwave did not touch his thighs again the remainder of the spanking, stopping when Starscream began to verbally cry out with every spank.

Starscream was not quite sobbing, and was surprised the punishment ended so soon.

Megatron would not have stopped until he was broken.

In contrast, Soundwave had stopped at a reasonable number of swats, and was now cradling Starscream on his lap, wiping the away the sticky tears and rumbling softly, playing Starscream's favorite song to him like he always did when he comforted Starscream, hugging him close to his chest and smothering him with love and care.

Starscream burst into tears again when Soundwave silently retracted his mouthplate and pressed a gentle kiss to Starscream's forehead.

"I'm sorry Soundwave." The seeker sniffled quietly, snuggling as close as he could get to the blue TIC. "But I don't want to obey him. I'm sorry."

"Forgiven." Soundwave smoothed the trembling wings. "Further punishment expected in future."

Starscream sighed, closing his optics again as he allowed Soundwave to sooth his fears and pet the pain away.

"Well?" Megatron demanded that night.

After the spanking from Soundwave, Starscream had been quiet and well-behaved, glancing from time to time at Soundwave, almost hopefully, Megatron noted.

Before the seeker had retired to bed, Megatron had seen Soundwave stop him in the hall and pet down his face affectionately.

Megatron had growled jealously as he watched those proud wings stand upright in pleasure as Starscream nuzzled Soundwave's chest, pressing his audios to it as though listening.

They had stood that way for exactly two and a half breems, then Soundwave had gently stepped away and returned to where Megatron was waiting.

Starscream had skipped off to his berth room, only to be whisked inside by a frantic purple and black seeker, who looked ready to frag someone, anyone.

"Thundercracker must have refused interface with him tonight." Megatron observed, amused.

"Observation, correct." Soundwave confirmed.

Soundwave then informed his leader on the results of the earlier punishment, and Megatron looked thoughtful.

"I wonder how he would feel towards you if you had to really punish him. Really, really hard." Megatron looked at Soundwave.

"Prediction: devastated." The blue TIC said flatly.

"Would you do it, though?" Megatron narrowed his gaze.

"If necessary." Soundwave stated.

"Then we shall test that. If he still trusts you even after you give him the hardest punishment you can think of, then I shall make him my pet." Megatron was going to anyway, he simply wished to see Starscream's reaction to Soundwave after a harsh punishment.

"Seeker trust hard to gain, easy to lose." Soundwave remarked.

"Your meaning isn't quite clear." Megatron felt confused.

"Breaking Starscream is never an option." Soundwave clarified. "Too trusting."

"You are afraid of losing his trust then." Megatron already knew that, and was irritated.

"Affirmative. Starscream must never be aware it was my suggestion to make him a pet, until he enjoys it. Imagined deception would be spark break. Soundwave earned trust; intends to keep it. Starscream requires trusted companion." Soundwave sounded a little out of breath.

"As you wish, my faithful friend." Megatron was amused, but didn't see the harm in that. "You are dismissed."

Soundwave bowed slightly and left.

Megatron began to make plans for his new toy, where he was going to be kept, how he would control him, ect ect.

The warlord fell into recharge, still planning.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Weeks, long weeks, dragged on for the warlord as he waited on Starscream to make a fatal mistake.

After Soundwave, the only being he appeared to trust, something Soundwave had worked for almost two million years to gain, had punished him, he had actually behaved.

But, Starscream being who he was, it did not last.

The first time he defied Megatron's orders, he cringed a bit and glanced at Soundwave, but when the TIC ignored him, he gain confidence and in a few days it was as though he had never been punished at all.

Megatron let all his misbehaving and insubordination slide, only occasionally throwing him against walls and yelling at him, punching him in the face every so often, but other then that withdrew any attention to the attention-craving seeker.

Soundwave was not happy, but did not question his master Megatron.

He never questioned Megatron; it was not his way.

Starscream quickly grew out of hand, even defying Megatron's orders in front of him and counter-commanding him while the overlord was standing there.

Megatron acted as if Starscream didn't even exist.

Starscream was getting desperate, wanting Megatron to notice him.

Megatron was waiting on Soundwave to snap, and take over the discipline, and he told his TIC as much.

The telepath was waiting on Starscream to do something that was so awful, he would have no choice but to punish him severely.

Soundwave knew this was what Megatron wanted, and even though he did not wish it, he would obey his master's unspoken desires.

Then one day, at long last, Starscream did it.

Starscream, through who knows what great luck, had managed to get Optimus Prime unarmed and badly injured alone.

But instead of terminating him, like Megatron screamed at him to do, he _helped_ Optimus to his feet and half carried half dragged the damaged Prime to the waiting Skyfire, then held off his own troops while the shuttle flew away.

Starscream's insane ruby optics bored into Megatron's boiling scarlet ones, laughing.

He _knew_ he had gotten Megatron's attention now, even though astroseconds later he was wishing he was still 'under radar' as he realized just what he had just done, and cowered in terror and regret.

As Megatron stormed towards him, the young seeker desperately wished he had blown Prime away while he had the chance.

He would have been a hero, and Megatron would have _had_ to praise him then.

Starscream burst into tears as he desperately wished he could turn back time and do things right this time.

He honestly didn't know why his cold, insensitive spark had twisted in pity and warmth had flooded through his numb sensors when he gazed into those calm blue eyes.

Whatever had changed in him that klik, it was probably going to cost him his life now, and he tried to take off, flee, follow the Autobots.

They would give him shelter; he had just saved their leader's life after all!

But, as always, he was too late, and Megatron had him by the throat and was holding him above his head before he could even kick his thrusters into the ground.

Starscream's tears ran down his face and dripped into his master's optics, and Megatron just glared at him, quivering with rage.

The tri-colored seeker didn't care anymore if he lost every shred of respect he had ever been given, all he wanted was his life spared.

"Please!" he choked, grasping vainly at the strong fingers around his throat, "I'll do anything! Anything! Just please don't kill me! Anything! I swear-by my wings!"

Megatron pulled the terrified seeker to his face, glaring into his panicked optics from millimeters away.

"I won't kill you." He growled, low and menacing, "But you are going to wish I had."

Not releasing his grip on the jet, he stalked back to Soundwave.

"He's yours, _for now_." Megatron threw Starscream into the telepath, and Soundwave had an awful feeling Megatron was angry with him, too, for having waited so long to punish Starscream.

The flight back to base was silent, Starscream kept his arms wrapped tightly around Soundwave, his face buried in his shoulder.

Soundwave offered no comfort to the distraught jet, giving off a silent wave of displeasure that had the seeker shaking in repentance and terror, his wings folded back as tight as they would go.

Not a single Decepticon spared their former Air Commander a glance, and Thundercracker flew once more in his rightful place at his leader's side.

Soundwave would rather have seen Starscream escape and fly back with the Autobots, where the telepath knew he'd be safe and cared well for, but the panicky seeker had froze up, and was now fully in Megatron's grasp.

Even if he just didn't know it yet.

Once they were back at the base, Megatron snatched back his prize seeker and threw him on the floor.

"Go get ready in your quarters, Soundwave. Starscream will arrive shortly, I will send him." Megatron snarled.

Soundwave turned and left, ignoring the whimpers coming from the seeker on the floor.

"Do with him as you please." He heard Megatron instruct the others as he left, then he heard Megatron following him, and he felt his core still with fear.

Soundwave heard Starscream yelp, then the sound of metal on metal as what sounded like half the army attacking him, and Starscream started screaming.

Soundwave felt confident the other seekers would protect him, at least a little, as he had caught many thoughts from the jets wishing they had the guts to do that in front of Megatron.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind as he entered his quarters, Megatron right behind him.

Soundwave turned to face his leader as soon as the door closed. "I accept full responsibility for Starscream's actions." He informed the cold gray mech in front of him, and bowed his head.

"You do, do you?" Megatron sneered. "Well, good, because all the punishment is not his alone."

Soundwave had foreseen that, even though Megatron was reluctant to hurt his only friend, the harsh mech could not allow what he considered partly Soundwave's fault to go unpunished.

"Accepting punishment." Soundwave followed his master as the warlord stalked into his bedroom.

Megatron stalked to the bed and threw a smallish whip onto it. "There." He snapped. "Use that to punish that, that," Megatron was rendered wordless with his rage. "Just beat his aft with that, got it?" he glared at Soundwave, who understood his punishment now.

"As you command, Lord Megatron." He bowed his head once more.

"Very good, Soundwave. At least I can count on _you_ to follow my orders, even when they are to punish you." Megatron chuckled darkly, spun on his heels, and marched out of Soundwave's room.

Soundwave settled himself on the edge of his bed to wait on Starscream's arrival.

He did not have to wait long; shortly after Megatron had left, he came back, carrying a limp Starscream in his arms.

A disbelieving and appalled, revolted look was on the warlord's face, and he gazed at Soundwave wordlessly, actual agony on his face.

Soundwave gently took Starscream from him, and a chill went through him as Megatron parted the seeker's legs, moved aside the sparking panels, and lifted the metal from his back while holding up his wrists.

Starscream had been raped in every sense of the word; horrifically raped, and from the amount of scarring on his body it was not the first time it had happened.

Soundwave had never seen any of the interface units on Starscream, and he never had any desire to.

But now he wished he had, so as to have a better picture then what he was seeing.

The cords in their wrists seekers used to tie their mates to themselves, data-link, and bond were shredded, and many of them were ripped completely out.

They needed those cords so they could stay linked together.

Seekers plugged into their trine mates while they re-charged, used them to configure data when mating, and to strengthen their trine bonds.

Without them a seeker would slowly be cut off from his own trine, and would eventually die from lack of data uplink.

Warlord and telepath stared at each other in shock and horror.

Things were starting to line up in Starscream's behavior patterns.

Megatron had caught Starscream more then once trying to plug his prongs into some of his own ports, and had wondered why he did that when he was trined.

Now he knew Starscream was trying to re-start a cord-recovery program that was missing in his system files for some reason.

From the look of the scarring in his wrists, it was a seeker who had torn them, and Megatron silently swore to find whoever had done this and turn them into scrap.

They moved from his wrists to his back, where almost every port was clawed wide open and smoking.

Once more, there was evidence of very specific ports being clawed long ago into oblivion, and Soundwave offered Megatron a hint to discuss this with Thundercracker and Skywarp, who _had_ to have known what had happened to their third seeker.

Third seekers were notoriously well-protected in a trine, as only the weakest of the trine occupied that position.

Megatron shook his head when Soundwave suggested that, and sent back a wordless message on Skywarp's complaining eons ago about Starscream never letting anyone touch his back or wrists anymore, and how it was straining the bonds.

Megatron had ignored it, and never heard about it since.

Soundwave sent back that they had probably discover this by now, and they still needed to be questioned.

Starscream's interface ports were a melted mess, and they moved on quickly, leaving his legs spread so as not to jar them anymore.

His spike, well, it… wasn't there anymore.

This was a fresh wound, still spurting energon.

Some con had just torn, er, _bitten,_ it off.

Starscream's mouth had something stuffed in it, and Megatron pulled it out.

His own spike had been shoved down his throat.

Soundwave nearly purged, and Megatron caught him gently as he swayed violently.

Starscream's face was covered in lubricant and energon, and as both the warlord and the telepath gently cleaned it, they were horrified to find some of the freshly ripped cords stuck to his face, prong stabbed into the corners of his optics, which were still spilling tears, helping to clean the mess from his face.

Megatron forced Soundwave to look at the seeker's spark.

It was chipped, pieces missing, smoking, and a dirty, sickening gray color instead of the blinding white it should have been.

The holding clasps were burned and some broken and missing, and his whole chest had melted components inside.

Soundwave scanned the fine sensors on the edges of Starscream's wings, and was not surprised to find they were shredded.

"I am going to find out how long Hook and Knock-Out knew about this." Megatron snarled, startling Soundwave. "And that useless command trine. The Coneheads are already dispatched to capture the Autobot medic Ratchet, as I know his skill far exceeds my own medics' skills."

"And what of his punishment?" Soundwave asked.

"When he is capable of receiving it, give it to him." Megatron snapped, whirled around, and stalked out.

Soundwave cradled the damaged seeker in his arms, and, even though he doubted very much that Starscream was even conscious to hear it, played his favorite song.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"It was Astrotrain." Those were the first words that Soundwave had heard out of anyone since Megatron had left him with Starscream.

Skywarp and Thundercracker were hovering nearby, optics never once leaving the form of their third seeker.

They knew nothing, other then the fact that Starscream refused to renew his bonds with them, yet refused to be separate from them either.

And any attempt to open any panels to allow access to the cords and ports resulted in a vicious attack from him.

So they had stopped trying, and helplessly watched Starscream's mind grow sicker and sicker the longer he lived separate from the data links he so badly needed.

Starscream refused any medical assistance, and threatened the medic's lives if they forced him in there or told Megatron.

Now Megatron knew what had happened to the young apprentice Hook once had.

He had been found dead, killed by horrific means, but no one knew who killed him.

Evidently, Starscream caught him on his way to alert Megatron to the fact Starscream refused medical help, and had been killed for it.

Astrotrain had turned a unique shade of guilty when the warlord stalked into the room, and had tried to sneak off, but Megatron caught him and forced the truth from the cowardly triplechanger.

Many, many years ago, a couple million to be closer to the truth, Astrotrain had seduced Starscream, and managed to fool the pretty seeker into believing the enormous triple-changer actually loved him.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Astrotrain began abusing him, until, before the love-blinded seeker knew it, he was being horrifically abused and raped every single night he spent with Astrotrain.

Starscream still loved Astrotrain though, and took the pain, refusing to leave his side even when Astrotrain skewered both wings and left him dangling from the ceiling in his quarters, using him as knife-throwing practice.

The loyal jet even stood there while Astrotrain clawed out some of his ports and set fire to the flier's own energon blood as it ran down his body, and then just watched him burn as he collapsed screaming in front of him, but still didn't run away.

What finally forced the lovesick seeker from the triple-changer's grasp was when the part-seeker ripped the trining cables from his wrists and tore out the bonding ports.

Starscream couldn't take it anymore and fled, and had been running ever since, though being forced to live in the same area as his abuser, was often caught and suffered in ghastly ways for, well, anything Astrotrain wanted.

Megatron discovered that all this time he thought Screamer was running from him, he was really running from Astrotrain.

The abuse the triplechanger gave to his seeker was enough to condemn him to death; the discovery that he had been the one to viciously attack Star in the main room and bite his spike off, that was enough for Megs to find the perfect death for the abuser.

Megatron treated him like he treated Starscream before killing him: raping him repeatedly for hours, visously ripping the cables Astrotrain had ripped from Starscream, clawing open all the ports, and _slowly_ ripping off his thick spike, then light fire to the bleeding body once Astrotrain had screamed his last breath once Megatron had ripped him clean in half, starting with his interface ports up to his spark.

Astrotrain perished in the flames, writhing in complete agony, the strength to scream having left him with his breath.

Megatron watched in sick pleasure as the former Decepticon melted away, then ordered the remaining two triplechangers to clean it up.

Then the gunformer left to see to his seeker, wanting to see him fixed up and spouting angry insults once more.

Instead, he found Starscream strapped to a medical bed, tears dripping down his flushed cheeks, Ratchet nowhere in sight as yet.

The dark warlord bent over the wounded seeker, and gently brushed a digit under a closed optic lid, wiping away some of the blue fluid trickling steadily from his second's optics.

The suffering jet drew in a shuddering breath at the touch and his optic lids fluttered open, the red coloring washed out to a pale gray, and the powerful warrior felt his spark grow cold staring into those sightless optics.

One of Starscream's blue fingers twitched, unable to move his arms from being strapped down, and Megatron desperately wished he knew what the mute seeker wanted.

Hesitantly, he drew a servo over the black helm looking so small and pitiful against the ugly gray of the operating table.

Starscream slowly re-closed his optics, sighing gently, some of the tension in his pain-racked body seeming to ebb at the gentle touch.

Megatron repeated the move, to be rewarded with a tiny hint of a smile tugging the corners of the flier's energon-encrusted mouth.

Megatron stayed petting Starscream gently until the Autobot medic burst into the room, looking severely pissed.

"Move." He commanded curtly, shoving the astonished warlord when he didn't move.

"How dare you-mmmph!" Megatron tried to roar at the red and white bot, only to have those red servos clap over his mouth tightly.

Cold blue optics stared coolly into his fierce red ones from mere centimeters away.

"When I say move, I mean move." Ratchet started firmly. "You may be Megatron, but I am the medic, and we always outrank everyone in the medic bay."

He released Megatron and turned back to his patient, who was lying limply on the table, having passed out again.

Megatron hovered over him as he worked, pretending not to notice the old medic's irritation at his close presence.

After a while, Ratchet began giving him short orders on where and what to hold, and how, and the mighty Megatron found himself as assistant nurse in short order, but strangely, he didn't mind.

The raw authority the stoic medic held affected even him, and now he felt he understood why the Autobots were so successful with a bot like this in the background, kicking everyone's afts when they slipped up.

The gunformer was most amused at the thought of Ratchet getting after Prime that he failed to pay attention and suddenly felt a harsh _thunk_ on his head.

Jerking his head around, he glared at the medic, who was holding a wrench and glaring heatedly right back.

"Pull your weight in this room, or leave." Ratchet threatened, and Megatron knew he meant what he said, though he very much doubted he could make him leave.

Grumbling under his breath, he held the seeker's head still while Ratchet drilled into his helm.

No more words passed between them the rest of the long days they cared for the critically injured seeker, Ratchet making demands of everyone he came into contact with, and Megatron silently backing him up with his cannon if necessary.

Finally, after a week of constant care, Ratchet let Starscream out of his drugged stupor, right at Optimus Prime himself came to call.

Ratchet exploded at his leader, totally running over him when his leader tried to say something, whisper-yelling that he had _told_ him not to come get him, he would return when his job was done.

Right in the middle of Ratchet's triad, a small whimper was heard from the medical berth where Megatron and the medic had moved the fragile seeker.

All three rushed to the flier's berthside, peering down at him as he writhed in his bindings, tears dripping down his pale, cool cheeks.

Ratchet gave Optimus a death glare, and the Prime flinched back.

Megatron found that fascinating, but his attention snapped back to his SIC when he began weakly screaming, thrashing as best he could bound to the berth like he was.

Ratchet stepped back after a quick scan, Prime mirroring his latter action.

Megatron stayed right where he was, bending down till his breath wafted across his seeker's tear-streaked face, staring at his closed lids, silently begging them to open.

Suddenly, his wish was granted as Starscream's optics flew open, and a brilliant scarlet red blinded the warlord for a couple kliks.

Starscream's screaming, if he pitiful noise he had been making could be called such, stopped, and his optics faded when he saw who was standing over him.

Starscream swallowed once or twice, then opened his mouth, trying to say something.

Megatron spun around, only to find Ratchet was a step or two ahead of him, shoving an energon drink into his eager servos.

Tenderly, Megatron tipped a few drops at a time into the seeker's mouth, unaware of the smug look on Ratchet face as he observed this.

Optimus watched without expression, though his facemask helped in this regard.

Finally, Starscream could talk, and in a hoarse whisper, he asked, " Why didn't you let me die?"

He sounded so hopeless, Megatron felt sorry for him all over again.

The warlord fished around for a reply, and was saved by remembering what got them all in this position to begin with.

"I didn't want to lose my first pet. I've always wanted one you know." Megatron watched as Starscream's optics widened in horror, then closed as he keened loudly.

The warlord felt fingers dig into his side and somebot yanked him back harshly, letting go and letting him stumble into Prime himself, who awkwardly caught him.

If looks could kill, Megatron would be doomed from the look Ratchet shot him as he bent over the weakly sobbing seeker, trying to sooth him.

That reminded Megatron of someone, and he felt a jolt as he remembered a certain telepath who was probably very forlorn with being left out of all this.

Suddenly realizing that he was still in the Prime's arms, he lurched forward and dusted himself off, not daring to look at his old enemy.

He could hear Optimus's intakes wheezing, and he strode quickly to the door, calling softly for Soundwave.

The blue mech was there in a sparkbeat, soundlessly moving to the seeker's berthside and running gentle fingers over him, the crying ending as a soothing melody floated around the small room.

"Well." Ratchet said as he stepped back and allowed Soundwave full reign over the unhappy seeker. "At least somebody cares for him."

Megatron growled, but didn't respond.

Then the medic turned to him and began issuing instructions he obviously expected Megatron to memorize, and it took the gunformer several moments to realize that the medic was preparing to leave Starscream in his care and go back to the Ark.

As he walked Prime and Ratchet to the door of the Nemesis, he stopped Ratchet before the medic left.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

Ratchet looked him up and down and nodded, then said something puzzling. "Be careful; Starscream is _dangerous_. Ask Jazz when you see him next."

Startled, Megatron glanced from the medic to the Prime, but both turned their backs on him and stepped out of the ship, and that was that.

The warlord leaned against the wall for several breems, then trudged back towards the med bay.

He would ask Soundwave about it later.

Surely he would know.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Weeks passed before Starscream was recovered enough to leave the med bay and enter his new life as Megatron's pampered pet.

The eager gray warlord was looking forward to spoiling the pretty seeker, and punishing him when he refused to obey him, but never actually hurting him too much.

Fragging was going to be a long time in happening, as the gunformer was loath to do anything that would traumatize his prize Seeker.

What bothered him most was that Starscream acted petrified around him.

He would be chattering away to Soundwave or one of the Seekers who visited him all the time, when he would catch sight of his leader in the doorway.

A look of terror always crossed his face and he'd fall silent.

The threatening posturing he was getting from the other seekers had the Con leader on edge.

Fusion canon or no, an armada of Seekers attacking him would be his finish.

Since today Megatron planned on taking Starscream to his own quarters to start living there, he needed to find out why the Seeker feared him so much.

He was looking forward to punishing the snarky brat he had come to enjoy, not babying a cowering drone.

So he cornered Thundercracker and ordered him to spill the reason Starscream feared him.

Thundercracker gave him an incredulous look. "Really?"

Megatron growled and slammed him up against the wall before dropping him.

Subdued a bit, the blue and white seeker proceeded to remind him of why Starscream was on that med berth to begin with, and that he was afraid Megs would treat him like his late abuser had as punishment.

Megatron had forgotten all about the Prime incident that day on the battlefield, and he shook his head.

"You tell that pathetic seeker of mine that I have no intention of raping or abusing him. In fact, I promise no more beatings at all for him. Tell him that for me, Second."

The angry edge to the large wings dropped in shock as his now-SIC stared at him, then whipped around and stalked off.

Megatron went to his quarters to ensure all was ready for the new occupant, then went to the med bay to collect his prize.

Starscream was leaning into Thundercracker, his face buried in the larger seeker's chest while the elder stroked his wings reassuringly.

When the trine leader spotted him, he gently withdrew from his third and left, a wing clipping the side of the gunformer's head as he did so.

Megatron wondered what that was for, but pushed the thought to the back of his head and instead strode up to Starscream, who was looking at him through narrowed optics.

"No more beatings huh." The red, blue, and white seeker crossed his arms across his chest. "I for one don't buy that. What are you going to do to me."

Megatron smirked. "This punishment is only going to hurt your pride." He replied, and quickly grabbed the Seeker who had just tried to make a quick getaway by rolling off the bed, no doubt to try and run.

Starscream struggled madly, hissing and scrabbling his claws on his leader's armor, but was fast subdued.

Clutching Starscream tightly to his chest like some stuffed animal he had seen human children carrying around, he strode through the halls to his personal quarters.

"You are going to come to love this punishment." Megatron told his seeker, smirking at the angry looked he got in response.

"I can assure you, I will _not_." Starscream spat at him, trying to bite, but utterly failing.

Megatron flicked the pouty lips, not realizing what a mistake that was and got bit.

"Bad pet." Megatron scolded, shaking his hand as energon dripped from it, then he lightly smacked the seeker's helm. "No biting."

"I'll bite you again if you try that again." Starscream threatened, but sounded a more pouty then really dangerous.

They traveled in silence for a bit after that, Megatron choosing less crowded halls to carry his pet seeker through.

Starscream pulse picked up when he realized where they were going, and a panicked whimper escaped him as he resumed his struggles from before, only now even more desperately.

Megatron was slightly amused until he understood what his Seeker probably thought.

Thinking to reassure him, he pressed a kiss to the top of one intake, not daring to loosen his grip for fear of losing the slippery seeker.

Having seen Soundwave kiss the seeker like that several times, he thought it would work for him too, but he was badly mistaken.

Starscream began shrieking, oddly beautiful whistles coming from him between the shrieks as his optics dimmed.

Within kliks, Megatron was surrounded by a flock of furious seekers, all of whom had their weapons trained on him.

Flock was actually incorrect, the whole armada was there, with the two commanding seekers front and center, the coneheads on either side and behind them.

"What?!" Megatron spluttered, only for Thundercracker to step forward and begin speaking rapidly to a teary-opticed Starscream in Seeker.

Then he rubbed the top of Screamer's head and turned to his leader, a deadly look in his own optics.

"A few things sir." The blue and white Seeker hissed between his denta. "No kissing or touching in personal ways, or he is going to flip out, and we will come every time he calls. No one, and we mean _no one_ , is ever going to touch him in that way ever again without his permission. If you ever hurt him, we will not hesitate to take you out at once. As you can see, we are perfectly capable of extinguishing your spark any time we wish."

Megatron's blood boiled, but he was smart enough not to do something hasty with the whole armada there.

He may be able to beat one or two, _maybe_ three seekers, but not them all.

He would be sure to weaken them after this though.

"Understood." He grit out. "Tell this glitch that I'm not going to hurt him like that will you? He doesn't seem to believe me."

"I already did. He doesn't trust you. You will have to earn it if you truly desire him never to flip out round you again. You've shattered him enough as it is." Thundercracker spat at him.

It was all Megatron could do not to throttle the seeker in front of him, but the gunformer was truly afraid of the other seekers' response.

"Fine." Megatron spat back. "Now let me through."

"We will escort you." Thundercracker said, and that's what happened, despite the angry gray con's furious spluttering, the whole armada escorted him to his quarters, and Starscream's personal trine even inspected his room to ensure there were no torture instruments inside.

Their wings flared with anger at the décor and furniture that was obviously for the seeker pinned in Megatron's arms, but they didn't say anything, but stalked out without a word to their leader, but uttered a few reassuring clucks to Starscream, who relaxed a bit, but looked pitifully sad.

Megatron slammed his door and locked it, feeling a bit shaken from the seeker's display of protection for Starscream, but quickly pushed it to the back of his mind.

He had more important things to do here.


End file.
